Foresight
by sams1ra
Summary: After having another strage nightmare, Sam and Dean rush to the aid of a woman haunted by a very demanding spirit. Nice little twist there at the end, if you don't mind me saying so... Please review.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of the characters (except for Claudia, but without the other characters, that really doesn't matter, now does it?) Also, I don't know if there is a Berton, Georgia, but if there is, nothing really happened there. I made that up.

A/N: This fic picks up after my last one, so you should read that first, but it could also be a stand-alone. To sum up what you need to know from before; Sam and Dean were joined by another hunter, a woman named Claudia. Sam really likes her. Dean really doesn't. Also, contains SPOILERS from "Nightmare". Hope you enjoy it!

PART 1

Monica was shivering with fear. She shrieked, trying to escape the picture frame that was hurled her way by… nothing, or so it seemed. She ran out of her bedroom, closing the door just in time to avoid being hit by her favorite vase. The door fought her, as if someone of the other side was fighting to open it. Monica shrieked again, tears of panic streaming down her cheeks. And then the door stopped fighting. Monica still held it firmly shut, still shivering. She needed a drink, but she was too scared to let go of the door. And then the light in the hall flickered, and Monica whimpered. A book came flying out of the bookcase and hit her on the head. She screamed and started running. "Stop it!" she cried, "Stop it! Why are you doing this to me?" she cried, reaching for a bottle of Scotch. Her hands shook violently, and she spilled as much of the drink outside the glass as she did inside it. "Go away, leave me alone!" she cried, emptying the glass in one quick shot. A light bulb exploded just above her head. She screamed, letting go of the glass and it shuttered on the floor. Another picture was pulled off the wall. It hit the wall just inches from Monica's head. Monica sobbed. She picked the picture up. It was broken. It was her favorite picture, from before everything had started. It was a picture of her graduation day. She stood there with three of her best friends, all wearing the caps and gowns, smiling excitedly at the camera in front of their old high-school. Monica cringed as the lights died out. "No! stop it! Go away!" she cried in panic as her TV exploded. It was too much. She opened the door to her apartment and fled outside. But she lost her footing, falling down the stairs. And it all went dark.

* * *

Sam woke up, sitting upright in bed, his heart racing. He squinted in the dark. Dean was asleep in the bed next to him. Sam hesitated for a moment, trying to decide if it was just a nightmare or something more. Definitely something more. He got out of bed.

"Dean, wake up." He said urgently, remembering all too well what happened after he had his other nightmares. "Dean, come on, wake up!"

"What?" Dean croaked in his sleep, irritated at the interruption.

"It's happening again." Sam said, putting on a pear of jeans. "Come on, we have to go." He added, turning the light on. Dean flinched.

"Go where, it's the middle of the night?" he protested.

"I had another vision." Sam said. "Look, get up, I'm going to get Claudia."

"Sure. Vision. Great." Dean said groggily, pulling his pillow closer.

"Dean!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm up." Dean said, forcing himself up, his eyes still closed. Sam made sure Dean wasn't going to go back to sleep before he got out of the motel room and walked over to the next one, where Claudia was sleeping. He knocked on her door, but there was no answer. He knocked again, harder this time, and then even harder. The door flung open. Claudia seemed very annoyed.

"I was having a perfectly good dream, Sam, you'd better be bleeding to death or something!" she grunted irritably.

"Look, I'm sorry, I know it's late, but we have to go." Sam said. Claudia made a face.

"And this can't wait till morning?" she asked, smothering a yawn. Sam gave her a look that made it clear it couldn't. She sighed, running her hand over her face. "Fine." She said flatly, "Just don't expect me to be all perky." She added, closing the door in his face as she went to get dressed.

* * *

Dean sped up the Impala. It was a little after four in the morning. He would have much rather to be asleep right now, hell, he could barely keep his eyes open, but Sam seemed really upset. Dean glanced at Sam, sitting by his side. "I don't get it Sammy," he said, "a chick in Georgia? You think it's the same thing as last time?" he asked. Sam shook his head, shrugging.

"I don't know," he said in a small voice, "but I'm having visions about her Dean. I saw her die, and it looked like she was attacked. I mean, why would I have these dreams about her if it's not like Max?" he asked, looking at his big brother. Dean returned his look, and then brought his attention back to the road ahead. They weren't going to get to Georgia at all if he didn't watch where he was going.

"Hi, anyone wants to clue me in?" Claudia asked from the back seat of the Impala, "Why are we rushing to Georgia in the middle of the night, and what happened the last time?" she asked. Sam glanced at Dean again. Dean returned a glance, but didn't say anything. He left the decision to Sam. Sam took a deep breath, turning to look at Claudia.

"A while back, I had this vision of someone dying in his garage. We went over there to check it out." Sam said, glancing at Dean. "It turned out this kid, Max…" Sam swallowed, "He was a psychic. He attacked his dad, his uncle…"

"And you think it's the same thing here?" Claudia asked.

"Max's mom died when he was a kid." Sam said slowly. "She died in a fire, pinned to the ceiling, just above Max's crib." He added in a small voice. Claudia raised a brow.

"The same thing…? You think the same thing happened to him? And now, to this woman?" Claudia asked, making sure. Sam lowered his eyes, giving a slight nod. Claudia bit her lip, lost in thought. "Okay, I have another question." She said a little while later. "Say we are hunting this thing that killed your mom. Say we get there, and it is… it." She said, "Is it a good thing, or a bad thing?"

* * *

It was just about nine in the morning when Dean finally parked the Impala next to a Diner in Berton, Georgia. His stomach was growling and he needed coffee. Lots of coffee. He hadn't said much in the past few hours. _Man, that chick sure asked the big question._ He thought. Finding the thing that killed their mom, finally, after all these years… But it wasn't the first time they thought they were on to him, and look how it turned up the last time. Besides, if it is, and by some chance they killed it… _Then Sam would leave me._ That thought made his stomach turn. They entered the diner, ordering breakfast.

"So, what's the plan, Sam? We just go around town asking if anyone knows a young woman in her early 20's, dark hair, dark complexion, about 5'4''? Oh, and she might be psychic?" Dean asked. "I mean, just because she had a picture of this place doesn't mean she didn't move years ago." He added, forking at his scrambled eggs.

"You got a better plan?" Sam asked. Dean shrugged.

* * *

"So, is it just me, or does that strike you as an enormous waste of time?" Claudia asked Dean in an undertone as they left the grocery store. Asking those people if they knew a woman who used to live there a couple of years ago, not knowing her name or being sure what she looked like, wasn't the best way to pass the time. Especially with the looks they got. Dean gave her a look that said at least they were doing something. Claudia sighed. If they had any real information on the woman, she could just use her connections to find her, but Sam wasn't even sure if she actually lived there. They went to yet another store, feeling foolish as they asked the salesperson yet again about the mysterious woman.

* * *

Sam got out of the police station. No missing persons, no sudden deaths recently, not even strange reports or prank calls. There just didn't seem to be anything he could go on. _If only he had gotten the woman's name_… he thought to himself. _How was he supposed to help her if he didn't even know who she was_? He parked the Impala at the motel parking lot. He was dead tired, and he guessed Dean and Claudia weren't better off. _Maybe they should all get some sleep, pick up the search later_, he thought. He dug around in his pocket, fishing the keys out and opening the door to their room. _Maybe he should search the net._ But how? He didn't really have a clue. Frustrated, he got out, locking the door. It was lunchtime. They said they would meet back at the diner at lunch. He drove over there, hoping Dean and Claudia had better luck than he did.

They weren't at the diner when Sam got there. He found an empty booth and sat down, waiting for them. Trying to pass the time, he studied the menu.

"Can I get you anything?" a waitress asked him.

"No, I'm waiting for some friends…" Sam looked up at her. His eyes widened. It was her.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

PART 2

"I know how it sounds, believe me," Sam said quickly, "but I really think you are in danger." The waitress looked at him like he was mad. "Look, I'm not gonna hurt you, but I really need you to not go home today. I think there's something out there." The waitress seemed frightened.

"What, you mean, like someone? Should we go to the police or something?" Sam faltered, not sure what he should say.

"Would you look at that? Here we are, dragging our asses all around town to look for this chick, and here you are, flirting with a waitress? Don't you think that's a little role switch there, Sam?" Dean grunted, flopping down on the seat next to Sam. Claudia sat across from them.

"Sorry, all we got were strange looks." She said. Sam looked from them to the waitress.

"So, what now, college boy? Start going house to house?" Dean asked, taking the menu and leafing through it.

"Uh, actually, I found her." Dean dropped the menu, looking at Sam in amazement. "Dean, this is Monica. That's the woman I've been telling you about." Dean stared at the waitress, and then looked at Sam.

"Weren't we in here this morning?" he asked. Sam gave a slight nod. "So, I just wasted half a day when I could have stayed here, doing nothing?" he demanded.

"I think there's a bigger issue here." Sam defended himself.

"Bet you would." Dean muttered.

"Look, you'd better tell me what the hell's going on, or I'm going to get the manager!" Monica threatened fearfully. "You come in here with this story about someone waiting for me in my house…"

"Not someone…" Sam stopped her, and then glanced around. "Look, could we go somewhere more… private?"

"No!" Monica took a step back.

"Look, do you know someone named Jack?" Claudia asked. Monica wrinkled her brow.

"Jack? What does he have to do with this?" she demanded.

"When do you get off work?" Claudia asked instead.

"At midnight. My shift just started." Monica said. Claudia looked at Sam.

"We'll tell you then. In private." She said, looking at Monica.

"Oh, and in the meantime, could you get me a roast-beef sandwich and some fries?" Dean asked, shrugging at Sam's raging look. Monica rolled her eyes and went to the kitchen to give them Dean's order. Sam punched him in the shoulder. "What? It's lunch, I'm hungry, and dude, if you hadn't noticed, she's the waitress!" Dean protested, only to get another infuriated glare from Sam. "What's the deal with that Jack guy anyway?" he asked Claudia. She shrugged.

"Everyone knows a Jack. I just figured it's better than 'that guy over there had a vision about you dying'." She said. Dean tilted his head to the side.

"Good thinking."

* * *

"Look, I know it's really difficult to believe…" Sam said in a small voice, looking at Monica. They were sitting in Monica's living room, and it was nearly one in the morning. Dean was sitting by Sam's side while Claudia looked around the living room. Monica seemed on the verge of tears. 

"Is this your idea of a joke?" she snapped at Sam, getting to her feet. "Who set you up to it? Or are you just that big a jerk?" she demanded. Sam shook his head in protest, raising his hands.

"Look, Monica, I know how it sounds…" he said quickly.

"Get the hell out of my house!" she cried.

"Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but I really think it would be better if you let us…" Dean started, but she gave him such a look that he didn't go on any farther.

"Monica, I'm just trying to help you." Sam said, getting to his feet.

"Yeah, right. You have visions. You know how many times people tried to pull this joke on me?" she demanded. "I was just a kid!" Sam blinked.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"There's no such thing as visions! Now, get the hell out of my house!" she yelled at him.

"What happened when you were a kid, Monica?" Dean asked. Monica's lower lip trembled.

"You really had a vision about me?" she asked, looking at Sam. He nodded lightly. "Prove it!" she said. "Tell me something I don't know." Sam glanced at Dean. The vision wasn't exactly a clear one. All he really saw was some sort of spirit, he guessed, chasing after her. How could he tell her that? He told her about the picture from her graduation day. "You mean that picture?" she asked, pointing at the picture on the wall. Sam looked behind him and sighed. "You're a real jerk, you know that?" she said angrily. "Now get out of my house before I call the police!"

* * *

"That went well." Dean said sarcastically as he opened the driver's door and got in the car. Sam slumped into the passenger seat, looking worried and upset. This didn't go at all as he had planned. 

"Dean, this woman is going to get hurt unless we get her to listen." He said.

"Well, what do you want me to do, Sam? She doesn't want us in there, we can't exactly force her out of her own house…"

"She's hiding something." Claudia said, and both brothers turned to her. "You need to think about what you're going to tell her." She said, looking at Sam, "And then we should go back there, and make sure she gets the picture," Claudia made a face, "so to speak."

"How?" Sam demanded, "She's not going to let us back in there, she said she'd call the cops."

"I doubt that." Claudia said calmly. Sam wrinkled his brow.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because," Claudia sighed, "the amount of drugs she had stashed in there is enough to get her thrown in jail for intent to sell." She said, giving Sam a long look, and then smiled. Sam glanced at Dean, who shrugged. Sam ran his fingers through his hair.

"Okay. Then we need to find out what happened when she was a kid." He said, and Dean started the Impala.

* * *

"Thanks, thanks a lot." Sam said, shaking the young woman's hand, and left flower shop. Dean was waiting for him outside, leaning against the Impala. 

"Well?" he asked as his brother neared him. Sam flashed him a smile, walking over to the other side of the car. Dean got in, waiting for Sam to do so. He looked at his brother, who seemed in a far better mood than he had been the previous night. "What'd she tell you?" Dean asked.

"When Monica was a kid," Sam started, looking at Dean and his smile grew bigger, "she told everyone she had had a vision. That she could see things before they happened." Dean raised his brows, looking at Sam with surprise. Sam nodded, grinning. "She must have thought we were making fun on her. I bet you that vision she had as a kid wasn't the only one she's had." He said. Dean gave a little nod.

"Just like Max." he said in a small voice. Sam's grin faded.

"We should go." He said.

* * *

They waited for Monica to return from work. She froze for a minute when she saw them, and then looked angrily at them as she took her keys out. 

"You have some nerve, you know that? How dare you come back here?" she accused. Sam looked at Dean, and then at Monica.

"We know about your visions, Monica." He said. Monica clenched her jaw.

"Vision. Singular." She muttered, pushing through them to get to the door.

"No, I don't think so." Sam said. "I think that after the first time, when you saw how people reacted, you just decided to keep them to yourself. Didn't you?" he asked. She gave him an angry look, opening her door. "The drugs don't work, do they? They don't keep the visions away, do they?" Sam insisted. Monica glanced to both sides, making sure no one was there to hear what Sam had said. She sighed.

"Get in." she said, getting in and leaving the door open for them to follow. She took her purse off her shoulder, tossing it onto the couch and turning the lights on. "You want some coffee?" she asked, heading for the kitchen. Both Sam and Dean accepted her offer. It gave them more time to look around. Dean called Sam's attention to the many small plastic bags filled with white powder that were stuffed into a ceramic cow sitting on a shelf nearby. Sam tapped Dean's shoulder, showing him the number of empty wine bottles that were stashed under the couch.

"She sure is trying to keep _something _away." Dean muttered quietly as Monica returned with the coffee. They thanked her, sitting down.

"So, Monica, you want to tell us about that vision you had?" Dean asked. She glowered at him.

"No. You want to tell me about yours?" Dean glanced at Sam, who leaned forward in his seat, rubbing his hands on his knees.

"Look, about a year ago, I started having these… visions. Now, they always happen for a reason. Usually the same reason." He said, looking for any kind of reaction from Monica.

"A year ago?" she smiled bitterly. "Wait. They'll get worse." Sam wrinkled his brow.

"What do you mean? How long have you been having them?" he asked. She laughed a forced laugh, rolling her eyes.

"Only all my life. It could have been fine, I could just ignore them if it weren't for the splitting headaches." She said. "I swear, at some point I was sure I had a tumor or something."

"Could you tell us a little more about your visions? What are they about?" Dean pushed on.

"Fuzzy bears dancing around." Monica said. Dean bit his lip, a little irritated.

"Monica, I need to ask you something." Sam said, his heart pounding. "This might sound strange, but I need to ask you about your mother." Claudia frowned.

"My mom? What about her?" she asked.

"Is she… alive?" Sam asked awkwardly. Monica stared at him.

"She was this evening, when I spoke with her." She answered suspiciously. Sam gave Dean a long look.

"She is? You're sure? You're not adopted or anything?" Dean asked without thinking.

"Excuse me?" Monica sounded appalled. Dean flinched, smiling an embarrassed smile.

"Never mind." He said, getting to his feet. Something wasn't right. This wasn't like the thing with Max. Her mom was still alive, she's been having visions for years… But every one of Sam's other visions was somehow connected to the thing that killed their mom. What was the connection now? Dean didn't know, and it was making him nervous.

* * *

"Dean…" 

"I know." Dean said as they left Monica's apartment and headed for the car.

"This sounds nothing like the last time." Sam said, "I mean, she's been having visions for years, her mom's alive… This thing, it just doesn't add up. Why am I having visions about this woman?" Sam asked, looking at Dean as they were about to enter the car.

"I don't know Sam. Hell, far as we know, maybe your powers are getting stronger." Dean said, half-shrugging, "Who knows. Tell me if you feel like leaping over tall buildings though, 'cause I'd love to see that." Dean said, a mischievous grin on his lips.

"Dean!" Sam wasn't all that amused.

"Yeah, alright." He said, starting the car. "You know what we should do? We should check to make sure Monica isn't adopted. I mean, just because the chick says she's not doesn't mean…" his voice trailed off. Sam gave a little nod. They sat in silence for a while, each lost in his own thoughts.

"You know, I'm going to ask Claudia to talk to Monica." Sam said at last, breaking the silence. Dean glanced at him.

"Why?" he asked. "Monica told us everything she was going to say. What makes you think she'll tell Claudia anything she didn't tell us?" Sam shook his head.

"I don't know. But Claudia's pretty good at making people talk. And maybe the whole girl talk thing would help." He suggested. Dean kept his eyes on the road.

"Yeah, whatever, dude. She's your girlfriend." He said.

"She's not my girlfriend." Sam said indignantly.

"Uh-hah." Dean smirked. "Bet you wish she was. You know, I don't get you, man. The way she looks at you, the way she talks about you, you could have scored ages ago." Dean said.

"Is that all you think about?"

"No!" Dean said quickly. And then a grin started to spread on his lips as his mind took him somewhere else…

TBC

A/N: The third chapter should be coming up soon. Tell me what you thought about this one, and it would definitely come faster... lol


	3. Chapter 3

PART 3

Dean walked in the motel room, Sam at his heel. It was just nearing lunchtime.

"Well, that was a big waste of time." Dean said, slumping on the bed. Sam smiled, nodding at Claudia. "Turns out that chick really wasn't adopted. We found the birth records." Dean added.

"Oh, I know." Claudia said casually, folding a shirt and putting it in her bag.

"You do?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I asked her." Claudia said, heading for the bathroom.

"Say what?" Dean asked, surprised. Claudia came out of the bathroom a moment later.

"Well, Sam asked me to talk to her, so I did." Claudia said, smiling at Sam, who smiled back at her.

"Oh, yeah, and how did that go exactly?" Dean asked, glancing over his shoulder at his brother. Claudia shrugged.

"Not so good at first. But then I started trashing you, and she was totally on board. We talked for hours. Man, get a little wine in her and the woman just wouldn't shut up." She said. Sam grinned at Dean's annoyed look. He knew Claudia could get Monica to talk. She was really good at making people talk, tell her their innermost thoughts and secrets.

"So, what did she have to say?" he asked.

"A lot of boring stuff. No one understands her, she doesn't really have any friends, she wants to leave this town, yada yada yada." Claudia said, "But get this, when she was nine, she had a vision."

"Oh, really? She told you that?" Dean made a face, "That's shocking."

"Anyway," Claudia went on, ignoring him, "she saw this guy. She saw him die. She tried to warn him, but he didn't take her seriously, and when she tried to get other people involved… well it got ugly."

"Did the guy…?" Sam started, but didn't finish the sentence. Claudia nodded lightly.

"A few days later. She's been having visionsall the time. Now, that was a difficult confession to get." Claudia sighed, sitting on the bed and looking up at Sam. "She says she doesn't want anything to do with it. She doesn't want to have them. She said drinking helped, that it… stopped the bad dreams or something." She finished. Sam sat down next to her, lost in thought.

"So, now what, college boy?" Dean asked. Sam glanced at him. "I mean, seriously, does this sound right to you?"

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"I mean this has nothing to do with Max. Or the other thing. Come on, Sam, what's the connection?" Dean asked, getting to his feet.

"I don't know." Sam said in a small voice. "But I keep seeing this woman die, Dean. There has to be a reason for that." He added. Dean nodded.

"I get that, Sam, but what are we supposed to do? We don't know what's after her, or why." He said.

"I have a suggestion." Claudia said.

* * *

Sam shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"That's it? That's your great suggestion?" he asked Claudia. She laughed.

"Come on, Sam. Just one night, can't you just have fun for one night?" she asked, taking a large sip from her beer.

"I'm trying to save someone's life!" he cried exasperatedly.

"I know!" Claudia said, kissing his cheek, "That's why I invited her here. Jeez, Sam, relax a little, would you? You're only young once." She winked at him, walking away from the bar. Sam shook his head, his fingers drumming on the bar. Dean was already hustling pool, and was doing rather well actually. He had been playing for a little more than an hour, and was already up a hundred and fifty bucks. An hour later, just as Sam was about to leave, Monica showed up. Sam bought her a drink, trying to get her talking. Time was running out. He had to figure out why he was having visions about her. What, if anything, was haunting her. He didn't get much more than Claudia did, but at least he got her to talk to him. And more importantly, he got her to believe he really was trying to help her.

* * *

Sam woke up with a start. Another nightmare. He looked around, blinking his eyes into focus, and noticed Dean was up, too. Maybe it wasn't a nightmare after all. The urgent knock on the door reaffirmed that notion. He looked questioningly at Dean, who groaned and rolled out of bed. Scratching the side of his head sleepily, Dean answered the door. Claudia looked at him and hesitated.

"What?" Dean asked sleepily.

"Where's Sam?" Claudia asked. Dean moved over, letting her in.

"Claudia? What's wrong?" Sam asked worriedly, getting out of bed. Claudia stood in the middle of the room, hesitating, her look going from one sleepy brother to the next. "What is it?" Sam asked.

"I shouldn't have come." Claudia said, heading back the way she had come.

"No, Claudia, wait," Sam stopped her, "What's going on?" he asked, holding her by the shoulders. She looked into his eyes, fighting with herself, hesitating. Sam looked worriedly at her. Her heart pounded as she reached in her pocket.

"Here," she said, stuffing something into Sam's hand. Sam looked at her, making sure she was all right, before looking at whatever it was she just shoved in his hands. He sucked in his breath. Two little plastic bags with white powder.

"Claudia…?" he looked questioningly at her.

"You have to get rid of it!" she said in a shaky voice, her eyes welling up, "I can't..."

* * *

Sam stayed with Claudia that night, making sure she was alright. It was utterly shocking to him that she was a drug addict. He couldn't wrap his mind around it, but did his best not to let it show. He laid on the bed with her in his arms, holding her to him, soothing her. It felt strangely good, being this close to her, having her in his arms. That is, until he remembered Jessica, and started feeling all guilty. Sam went back to the room he shared with Dean the next morning. They still had to figure out a way to help Monica, only now they had to do it without Claudia's help.

Dean got out of the motel room, heading over to the small coffee shop down the street, when he saw Claudia coming out of her room. She rolled her eyes, starting back, but Dean was already on his way to her.

"So, what, you're doing drugs now?" he demanded angrily. "You have any idea how dangerous that could be? Especially doing what we do!" he snapped at her. She was hunting with them, they had to count on her to save their asses, and she was doing drugs? That was unacceptable in Dean's book. She was putting Sam at risk. He couldn't allow that.

"I'm not doing drugs!" Claudia protested.

"Oh, yeah? Could've fooled me!" Dean snapped.

"I've been clean for ten years, four months and eight days!" Claudia snapped back at him. "I still count the days!" Dean shook his head.

"I don't get it. You know what's out there, you know how dangerous it is, how could you…?" Claudia gave him a long look, and Dean's frown subsided. He recognized that look, recognized the pain hiding behind it. He wanted to say something to take the edge off, but she had already walked away from him. The look she gave him stayed with Dean all day, until finally, in the evening, when Sam went to see Monica again, Dean gave in and came over to Claudia's room. He knocked on the door. She nearly slammed it in his face when she saw it was him, but he stopped her.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"Can I come in?" Dean asked. Claudia glowered at him.

"Why? You want to check the place up for anymore drugs? Want me to take a urine test or something?" she snapped at him. He pushed the door back, inviting himself in, and sat down on her bed, looking up at Claudia.

"Look," he started, and then got a little tongue-tied. He knew what he wanted to say, it's just he wasn't so sure he could say it. "Look, I know." He said.

"Know what?" Claudia demanded, crossing her arms across her chest and leaning against the wall across from the bed, keeping her distance.

"I know what it's like to want the pain to go away." Dean said in a small voice. Claudia raised her brows. Dean licked his lips, his eyes locked on some spot on the wall. "When I was thirteen, I sort of…" he said, shifting uncomfortably. "Sam doesn't know." He added quickly. Claudia dropped her hands to her sides, slumping down and sitting with her back against the wall, looking at him. Dean swallowed. "Things got…" he stopped again, hesitating. "I couldn't take the pain anymore. My dad was always gone, and we moved around a lot… and all that supernatural crap dad always talked about, and the training, and having to watch over Sam… I don't know, it was too much." He said, glimpsing at Claudia, shifting uncomfortably under her gaze. He let out a little cough, clearing his throat. "Anyway, I got a little messed up." He said. "Man, did my dad get furious…" he smiled a small smile at the memory, which was far less than funny. "Knocked the habit right out of me." Dean finished.

"Oh, poor you." Claudia said sarcastically, catching him off guard. He raised his brows in shock. _See, that's why I never tell people anything._ He thought to himself, _Go tell people your innermost thoughts and feelings, and just watch them walk all over you._

"Excuse me?" Claudia got to her feet.

"So things got bad, and you went for the pharmaceuticals. Wait, let me get a tissue or something." Claudia said. Dean frowned. "At least you _had_ a choice!" she accused, and then bit her lip. This went a little too far.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dean demanded. Claudia wouldn't look at him.

"Look, you don't like me. Fine. I don't like you either. Let's just keep it at that." She said. Dean looked intently at her. There was something she wasn't telling him. A secret. He got off the bed.

"What happened?" he asked. Claudia hesitated. _What the hell,_ she thought. She'll tell him. And he'll freak out. Everyone used to freak out. And then he'll leave. And maybe Sam would leave too. She didn't really care anymore. She was used to always being on her own. So she looked up at him, and told him about Carl.

She told him how Carl had snatched her on her way from school when she was eleven. She told him he had held her in a tiny, windowless room for almost two weeks. She told him she had tried to fight Carl, so he injected her with heroine so she couldn't fight. She told him she couldn't stay off the drugs after that, that she needed them to forget, to keep the pain away and make her all numb. But she didn't tell him what Carl had done to her. She told no one that. Not even Jin. Not even her lawyer, even when he had promised her testimony could earn Carl the chair. She never told anyone what went on in that room for two whole weeks. She couldn't.

Dean watched her for a long moment, saying nothing. And then he completely took her by surprise as he walked over to her and hugged her.

TBC

A/N: Okay, this one was a little slow, but the next one would be a little more fun. The part with Dean doing drugs as a kid keeps bothering me. I think I might go add it to the youngDean story I wrote... Let me know what you think, nothing makes me happier than those reviews...


	4. Chapter 4

PART 4

Dean looked nervously at Claudia, sitting across the table from him, his leg bouncing. He felt so awkward, having no idea what to say, so he said nothing, and Claudia did the same. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He cleared his throat.

"Uh, Claudia, about last night…" Claudia look up at him. "Listen, about that hug…" he could barely say the words. _Man, I hate chick-flick moments!_ He thought to himself. "Could we…"

"Pretend nothing ever happened and let them fire the flames back up in hell?" Claudia asked. Dean smiled.

"Yeah." He said, "I mean, it's not that I… Look, could we just go back to not liking each other and forget everything that we said or did last night?"

"What do you mean go _back _to not liking each other?" she asked, and smirked at the look on his face. She still thought he was a jerk, and she _loved_ to watch him squirm… "Besides, I'm not the one that should be embarrassed. You were the one that went all chick-like on me." Dean made a face, laughing a forced laugh.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Must have been some sort of acid flashback or something." He said, smirking.

"You should know." Claudia smirked back, getting up from the table and leaving Dean there.

* * *

Monica threw her keys on the small table by the door, laying her purse near them as she walked in her apartment, Sam at her heel.

"You really didn't have to walk me home Sam. That's really sweet of you."

"It's okay." Sam said, turning a little red in the face.

"Well, at least let me get you a beer or something." Monica suggested.

"Coffee would be great." Sam said, making Monica smile.

"You know, Claudia was right about you." she said. Sam looked questioningly at her, but she just disappeared in the kitchen. Sam looked around the living room, picking up a picture of Monica and her mother and studying it.

"So, Monica, have you had any new visions lately?" he asked.

"No. Not at all. Why do you ask?" Monica asked in turn, bringing the coffee over. And then the lights flickered. Sam looked warily around, but Monica just rolled her eyes.

"Oh, man, not again." She sighed, "I hate this building. I called the super about these fuses a dozen times already!" she shook her head.

"Uh, this happened before?" Sam asked. Monica shrugged.

"All the time. There must be something wrong with the wiring or something." She said, "You want anything to go with that coffee?" she offered.

"What? Uh, no, thanks." Sam said, a little distracted. "Look, Monica, I really think you shouldn't stay here tonight." Sam said. Monica laughed.

"Why? What do you have in mind?" she asked, making eyes at him, and then laughed again.

"I just don't think you'll be safe here." Sam said, a little embarrassed.

"Sam, you've been telling me that for days now. Look, I appreciate the gesture, but I really think you worry for nothing. Nothing is going to…" And then the light bulb exploded, showering them with glass. Monica screamed, jumping. "What the hell was that?" she demanded. Sam looked around, nearing Monica. There was definitely a presence in the house. He wished he had the EMF meter with him right now, guessing it would probably show EMF spikes all over the house.

"Monica, I really think we should get out of here." Sam said. Monica nodded fearfully and they both headed for the door, but it wouldn't open. The kitchen light started flickering. Sam took Monica's place at the door, trying his best to open it, but it wouldn't budge. "Come on," he told her, "We have to find another way out."

"There isn't any!" she shrieked. Sam looked at her, his mind racing.

"Well, don't you have a fire escape or something?" he asked.

"Cheap apartment." Was all Monica had to say. Sam licked his lips. Salt. He needed to get his hands on some salt. He started for the kitchen, Monica clutching at his side.

"Monica, I need all the salt you can find." He told her, and then ducked as a potted plant smashed on the wall just inches from where his head had been. Monica screamed again as books started flying through the air in a whirlwind of papers. Sam's eyes widened as he noticed some knives beginning to stir, and quickly shoved Monica out of the kitchen. They made their way back to the door, which still refused to open. Monica pounded on it with her fists, panicking. Sam looked around. He had to get the salt, there was no other way. Telling Monica he was right back, Sam darted back to the kitchen and grabbed the salt. He stopped, confused. Nothing seemed to be wrong now. The kitchen was still, but the door was still closed and pictures were being hurled Monica's way. He hurried over to her and stopped dead in front of her mirror. The words '_She is going to DIE!_' were written on the mirror, in what looked like blood. He had to get Monica out of there. Uncorking the salt shaker, he threw all the salt at the door, praying it would help. It did, much more than Sam had hoped for. Everything went dead quiet. _Too easy_, the thought occured to Sam, _It's just too easy_.

"We should really get you out of here." Sam said. This time, Monica didn't argue.

* * *

Sam walked in the motel room, slumping on his bed and running his fingers through his hair. Dean looked at him.

"She okay?" he asked.

"Yeah." Sam sighed. "She's staying with Claudia tonight." He said.

"And that's a smart thing?" Dean asked. Sam looked at him, shaking his head a bit.

"I don't know. Claudia said she can handle it."

"And you believe her?" Dean pressed on.

"Yes, I do." Sam said simply.

"Okay," Dean said a moment later. "So I've been researching on this Efram guy, you know the guy she had a vision of when she was a kid…" Sam nodded.

"The man that died." He finished his brother's thought.

"Yeah. Says he's buried not far from here." Dean said, "You know what we should do, we should go over there, salt and burn the sucker." Sam gave a slight nod.

"You think that would do it?" he asked. Dean shrugged.

"That usually does the trick." He said. "Why?" he asked a moment later.

"I don't know," Sam sighed, "I just have this feeling…"

"Oh, no. No, no, no. I'm not digging this one up while you're here having a pajama party with those two chicks. You're vision, your spirit - your shovel, dude!"

TBC

A/N: So, a little more action this time, like I promised. Hope you liked it, and hope even more that you'll use the little button over there and review. Oh, and don't go anywhere, this isn't done quite yet...


	5. Chapter 5

PART 5

Sam sat silently in the passenger seat, thinking. They had no problems finding the guy's grave and torch his bones, he just really hoped that would work, and couldn't shake the feeling that it wouldn't. Dean was also a little more quiet than usual. The story Claudia told him kept nagging him.

"Hi, Sam?" Sam turned to look questioningly at him. "Did Claudia ever mention… Did she tell you what happened, you know, when she was a kid?" Dean asked awkwardly.

"About that Carl guy, you mean?" Sam was rather glad to be given an opportunity to take his mind off the fact he still had no idea why he kept having visions about Monica for no apparent reason.

"So, she told you? You know what happened?" Dean asked. Sam shook his head.

"Not really. She told me about it a while ago. I remember thinking it was kind of weird." He said. Dean glanced at him.

"Weird how?" he asked.

"I don't know," Sam said, "The woman fights demons for a living, and she seemed so scared about this one man." he said, shifting in his seat. "But I guess it sort of makes sense. I mean, she wasn't exactly fighting demons when it happened. She was just a kid." Dean returned his look to the road.

"How come she told you?" he asked all of a sudden. Sam half-shrugged.

"I told her about mom and Jess. You know, what started all of this. Why we do the things we do. She said that was how she got started. You know, hunting." He said casually, looking out the window. Dean gave a slight nod, thinking it over. It didn't seem to make sense. _The guy was human, right? She said so herself. So why the hell would she start hunting spirits and demons if the guy was human?_ Dean tried to put two and two together. _She must have been lying_, Dean thought, _either that, or she's still hiding something._ They didn't speak much the rest of the way back to the motel.

* * *

Dean parked the Impala just outside their motel room, getting out of the car.

"You want to shower first?" he asked Sam, who still seemed lost in thought.

"No, you go ahead." Sam said, not really paying attention. He made his way to Claudia's room, knocking on the door. It was late, but he could hear talking on the other side, so he figured she was up anyway. Claudia opened the door, and Sam could tell she was hiding her knife behind her back, just in case.

"Hi," Claudia smiled at him, opening the door all the way. "When did you get back?"

"Just now." Sam asked. "Hi, Monica, how are you holding up?"

"I don't know. You tell me." Monica said.

"Well, we took care of Efram, so I hope this thing is over. But you should still stay here, just to make sure." Sam said, and then turned to Claudia. "Can I talk to you outside for a moment?" he asked.

"Sure." Claudia said, and Monica straightened.

"It's okay, Dean's right next door, and we won't be far." Sam reassured her, his hand on Claudia's back as he escorted her outside.

"What is it?" Claudia asked.

"Would you…?" Sam tilted his head a little, indicating he wanted to go for a short walk. Claudia gave a slight nod, and they started walking.

"So, it's not that I don't enjoy walking outside at three in the morning, but is there a purpose to all that, or are we just going to make out?" Claudia asked, smirking at the expression on Sam's face, and Sam couldn't help but compare her smirk to Dean's. It was almost identical.

"How is everything?" Sam asked. Claudia bit her lip.

"Still working on the world hunger thing. Maybe after that, you know, if I get a couple of spare hours, I might take a crack on the world piece thing, and maybe even create a new ozone layer, you know, just for kicks." She said, making Sam grin.

"That wasn't what I was talking about." He said.

"Oh, really?" she looked up at him as they walked on. "So what were you talking about, if you don't mind me asking."

"You know," Sam said awkwardly. "This whole thing, with Monica…" Claudia glanced at him, and then shook her head.

"Sam, I just had a bad night the other night. I'm really okay. You don't have to worry about me. Well, as long as she's gone tomorrow, 'cause this whole bonding thing isn't really working for me." She said, making Sam laugh. "But you know," Claudia went on, her tone a little more serious now, "You should have checked her purse first." She finished. Sam looked questioningly at her.

"Why?" he asked. She gave him a long, intent, look.

"Don't worry, that stuff went straight down the toilet." She said. Sam stopped, surprised, but Claudia kept walking, so he quickly caught up with her. "So, how did it go with the body?" Claudia inquired.

"It was fine. We got there, got the work done. It should work." Sam answered.

"Maybe." Claudia said, and Sam glanced at her.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She shrugged, sighing.

"I don't know, it's just that you seem so certain it was the first guy. There were others, you know. What are you going to do, dig them all up? We don't even know about most of them." Claudia said, voicing Sam's own thoughts in the matter. He glanced at her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again, just to make sure. She smiled at him. "You should protect the room. You know, salt circles around the bed, cat's eye shells, that sort of thing." Sam said pensively. Claudia stopped, and so he did, too. She smiled at him, a little impatient smile, and then stood on the tips of her toes and gave him a small kiss.

"You – have – got – to – lighten – up!" she said, emphasizing every word, and then started back towards her room. Sam stood there, stunned for a moment, and watched her as she walked away from him. A little grin crept onto his lips. He started back towards the room and cursed inwardly at the sight of Dean standing by the door, his usual smirk on his face, looking a little more pleased with himself.

"Shut up!" Sam said as he passed him by and walked into the room.

"Dude, I didn't say anything." Sam punched Dean's shoulder, and Dean started laughing out loud.

* * *

Both Sam and Dean awoke with a start, sitting upright in their beds, glancing at each other. Dean was the first to jump off the bed. Getting his shotgun, he quickly rushed out of the room, heading for Claudia's. He could still hear her shooting inside, as well as Monica's screams. Dean kicked the door open when he couldn't open it, Sam at his heel. Dean managed one shot at the spirit before it disappeared. Claudia looked around the room warily, the shotgun in her hands still drawn and ready. Sam turned the lights on. He was rather relieved to see the salt circles and the cat's eye shells, he hadn't noticed them before.

"Is it gone?" Claudia asked. Dean nodded a little.

"Looks like."

"Is that… blood?" Claudia frowned, looking at the mirror, and then quickly clapped her hand over Monica's mouth. The woman was giving her a headache. Sam neared the mirror, looking at it from up close. He glanced back at Dean and Claudia. "Oh, gross!" Claudia muttered.

"You guys okay?" Dean asked. Claudia nodded, taking her hand off of Monica's mouth.

"Guess that torching thing didn't work." She noted, hurrying over to the mirror and quickly moving any of her things that were anywhere near it. "That is totally gross." She muttered again, looking around her room. Everything inside the salt circle seemed unharmed. Everything outside it, however… That was a different story. Monica started crying in panic.

"You have any idea who that spirit might be?" Dean asked Monica, but she was in no condition to answer.

* * *

They did what they could to pick up the things the spirit tossed around the room, helping Claudia out. Dean carried the mirror outside, thinking it was probably a bad idea to keep it in the room and having 'Bloody Mary' flashbacks. He wasn't so keen about breaking it just yet. He liked that Claudia seemed more angry about the fact that she would probably have to pay extra for all the damage than about the fact that a spirit had just attacked while she was sleeping in her room.

Sam stayed with Monica for a while, trying to calm her back down, sneaking the occasional look across to Claudia, who was already sleeping, the shotgun by her side. The skies were getting brighter by the time Sam went back to his room. He was dead tired, but still he couldn't sleep. Something still bothered him. He lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, his weary mind working ever so slowly. He yawned, glancing at his sleeping brother. _I should probably do the same_, Sam thought, closing his eyes, but as tired as he was, he just couldn't sleep. Something in the back of his mind still nagged at him. There was something he was missing. And then it finally clicked.

"It said she!" Sam cried, sitting up quickly.

"What?" Dean groaned sleepily.

"Dean, I think I figured it out!" Sam cried excitedly, getting out of bed and quickly pulling a pear of jeans on.

"That's nice." Dean groaned, turning his head the other way. Sam grinned, shaking his head, and sat on Dean's bed.

"It said she!" Sam repeated. Dean groaned in discontent, but still sat up.

"Who did, and why are you waking me up about it?" he asked.

"When I was with Monica in her apartment before, when the spirit attacked." Sam explained. "I went to get some salt, and I noticed this thing on the mirror. There was something written in blood." He said.

"I need coffee." Dean said, rolling out of bed.

"Anyway, it said 'she is going to die'." Sam finished. Dean glanced at him, getting dressed.

"Yeah? So?" Dean asked.

"So, third person, Dean." Sam said, as if it made it all clear. Dean must have still been half asleep, because that didn't mean anything to him. He glanced at Sam in a look that was half annoyed, half curious. "It said she, Dean, not you." Sam sighed. "If a spirit goes out of its way to warn someone, why would it warn them in third person?" Dean gave a slight nod, finally catching on.

"It would have said 'you', not 'she'." He finished Sam's thought.

"Exactly."

"So, what do you think? It's trying to warn her about something?" Dean asked.

"Maybe." Sam said, "I'm going to find out." He said.

* * *

Claudia seemed just as reluctant as Dean to get out of bed, but she quickly got dressed and left Sam alone with Monica. She and Dean went to get some coffee. Some strong coffee.

"Monica, I think I know why burning Efram's body didn't help." Sam said, sitting beside Monica.

"It wasn't him? You need to… find someone else?" she asked fearfully.

"No, I don't think so." Sam said. "Monica, that spirit that was in here before, did you recognize it?" he asked. Monica seemed horrified at the thought.

"Why would I recognize it?" she asked fearfully.

"Because," Sam said patiently, "I think you've seen it before. Before he died, I mean."

* * *

Monica was in tears. She paced the room nervously, shaking her head in disbelief.

"No! It's not possible!" she insisted.

"Think about it, Monica. They weren't trying to hurt you." Sam said patiently. She stopped dead, glaring at him. "Okay, they didn't at first." He corrected himself. "The light flickering in your apartment all the time, it was just then trying to warn you, to get you to do what you needed to do." Sam said. "The messages on the mirror… There were more, weren't they?" Monica burst up in tears again.

"Make them go away!" she pleaded.

"I don't think I can," Sam said in a soft voice. "Look, I understand what it must be like. Look what my brother and I do for a living, you think that's normal? You think I don't want to be normal?" he got up, walking over to Monica. "But as much as I hate to admit it, I'm not. I have visions, Monica." He said. "And so do you. And these visions, we get them for a reason."

"I don't want them!" Monica cried. Sam looked sympathetically at her.

"I know," he said softly, "but there's a reason you get them." Sam put his hand on Monica's shoulder. "You've had another vision lately, haven't you? Someone is about to die?" he asked. She lowered her eyes, but didn't answer. "Listen, Monica, I know it's difficult, but you must stop ignoring the visions. You have to start doing something about them. I think that when you do, those spirits might leave you alone." Sam said softly.

"And what if they don't?" Monica demanded. "What if they'll never stop?"

"Then at least there won't be more of them." Sam said. Monica gave him a long look. Monica shook her head.

"How am I supposed to do that? How am I supposed to help them if they don't even believe me? If they just think I'm a freak!" she demanded.

"You just keep trying." Sam said, looking in her eyes, "Eventually they'll listen."

"You can't know that!" Monica cried.

"You did, even though you didn't want to believe. You listened. I took some time, but you listened." Sam said. Monica blinked, staring at him. "There's someone else, isn't there, Monica?" Sam asked, "Someone else you're supposed to help? Someone else you see in your vision? A woman, dying?" Sam pushed.

"I can't!" Monica cried, tears streaking her cheeks. Sam sighed.

"Monica, I think you have to." He said. She swallowed hard, sitting down on the bed. Sam crouched next to her. "Can you tell me about it?" he asked.

"I can't save her," she whispered. "The way she dies…" she looked up at Sam. "Don't you think I want to help her? God, the way that woman dies…" she shook her head. "No one should go through anything like that. It's not… natural!" Sam frowned.

"Do you know who that woman is?" he asked. Monica wiped more tears from her eyes, nodding lightly. "Can you tell me?" Sam asked. She gave him a helpless smile.

"Claudia." She said, and Sam nearly lost his balance. His heart began to race. So _that_ was the reason for his vision. Monica shook her head again. "The way she's going to die, Sam… It's not a car accident or an illness or something. I can't exactly go up to her and tell her to check the breaks on her car or something. Something is going to kill her! Something…" Monica trailed off. She couldn't find the words to describe the horror she had seen in her visions. "How am I supposed to help her?" she demanded. Sam blinked, still trying to wrap his mind around what Monica had just told him. He looked up at her.

"You just did." He said hoarsely.

"I can't save her life." Monica said helplessly.

"No," Sam said, "But I can."

A/N: Well, sorry for the cliffhanger, but that's the end of that. If you thought the Winchester men could keep a secret, just wait for Claudia's… I already have the next story in mind, but I guess it's sort of up to you, if you're interested. Review, so I know that you are, and write faster!


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